WSJ: next iPhone to be “thinner and lighter” than iPhone 4

Sources for the Wall Street Journal claim that Apple's next-gen iPhone will …

The next-generation iPhone, expected to be released around September of this year, will be "thinner and lighter" than the iPhone 4. And while manufacturer Foxconn has had difficulty assembling the devices, Apple may try to move as many as 40 million by the end of the year.

Component supplier sources that spoke to the Wall Street Journal corroborated recent rumors pointing to an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera and baseband processors supplied by Qualcomm. However, these same sources suggested that the new iPhone will be "thinner and lighter" than the current model.

WSJ's report adds to the conflicting rumors we have heard in the last few weeks regarding the next-gen iPhone's form factor. Numerous sources, including those for Bloomberg, have said that the new device will look largely the same as the current iPhone 4. Sources for BGR, though, claimed that the device will have a "radical new case design." Perhaps instead we will be ultimately treated to something between both extremes—a thinner and lighter version of the current form factor is certainly plausible.

Nonetheless, we're not convinced that the new iPhone will feature a significantly different form factor. WSJ noted that Hon Hai (aka Foxconn) chairman Terry Gou complained last month that iPhones and iPads are already difficult to assemble because they are so thin. "We hope to raise the yield rate and volume in the second half which will help improve our gross margin," Gou said. That doesn't seem possible if Apple plans to use a new form factor that is "complicated and difficult to assemble," according to WSJ's sources.

More interesting is the fact that one supplier claimed to have been told by Apple to be prepared to ship enough components to Apple manufacturing partner Foxconn to build 25 million iPhones by the end of the year. Apple's additional manufacturing partner, Pegatron, reportedly received an order for as many as 15 million next-gen iPhones. If both sources are correct, Apple could be forecasting iPhone sales of 40 million.

That number may seem high, especially given the fact that the new hardware is not expected to be available until the latter part of the third quarter. But Apple already moved nearly 19 million iPhones in the first calendar quarter of this year, and that figure is double the amount sold the same quarter the year before. With Apple expected to announce another record quarter later this month, 40 million total iPhones in four months might not seem quite so far-fetched.

The WSJ is rumored to be ready to release an article seeking to clarify iPhone rumors..

a guy on reddit saw an article on Engadget sourced to Gizmodo before it was quickly taken down that the WSJ is in fact NOT rumored to be ready to release an article to clarify iPhone rumors spread by a guy on reddit

The WSJ is rumored to be ready to release an article seeking to clarify iPhone rumors..

In seriousness, I would not mind seeing an article about how these people get their "sources" and to get a little more insight into how you find sources, how you know they're reliable, and why we get over 9000 different conflicting reports on what the new iDevice looks like.

The WSJ is rumored to be ready to release an article seeking to clarify iPhone rumors..

In seriousness, I would not mind seeing an article about how these people get their "sources" and to get a little more insight into how you find sources, how you know they're reliable, and why we get over 9000 different conflicting reports on what the new iDevice looks like.

It's all part of the Reality Distortion Field that Steve deliberately cultivates. Apple probably says something different to each reporter in order to generate heat and buzz.

The WSJ is rumored to be ready to release an article seeking to clarify iPhone rumors..

In seriousness, I would not mind seeing an article about how these people get their "sources" and to get a little more insight into how you find sources, how you know they're reliable, and why we get over 9000 different conflicting reports on what the new iDevice looks like.

It's all part of the Reality Distortion Field that Steve deliberately cultivates. Apple probably says something different to each reporter in order to generate heat and buzz.

Probably not. What's most likely happening is that Apple gives intentionally conflicting information to different parties in order to find out who is leaking information.

Map makers used to do this in the past. They would have minor "signature flaws" on their maps so that when looking at another map they could tell if it was copied from theirs.

Why do the same people waste the effort on items that don't interest them?

Chris, I thought from previous discussions that the iPhone could not get thinner (e.g. iPod Touch level) because of the camera sensor. Can you comment? Have you heard whether said new sensors are capable of such? Also, have you heard whether these 8 megapixel sensors are of similar quality as the current one in the iPhone?

No matter what kind of iPhone it is, I'll have my hands on one of those 40 million. I'm so sick of my WP7 HTC Surround that I would love to see it blend. I swear I would've done it if I wasn't gonna sell it on eBay--I'll be happy if I can get even $50 out of this trash.

And I really, truly hope they have white iPhones from the start this time around.

Hrm. I'm thinking there is probably going to be a point of diminishing returns with regards to phone weight and thickness. I'm not sure I want my iPhone 4 to get much slimmer than it already is.

Still a long way to go, the newest Touch is pretty much optimal. You can put it in your pocket and it barely registers. But to reach that the iphone still has a bit to go. Its actually quite big. It could loose a bit of bezel as well.

Now not sure they will do it for this iPhone though. Normally they do not throw away the form factor after one generation. Unless they are sick of the grip of death and broken glass jokes.

Chris, I thought from previous discussions that the iPhone could not get thinner (e.g. iPod Touch level) because of the camera sensor. Can you comment? Have you heard whether said new sensors are capable of such? Also, have you heard whether these 8 megapixel sensors are of similar quality as the current one in the iPhone?

Yes, I don't believe the iPhone could be radically thinner unless it uses some radical new autofocus lens tech. For comparison, the iPod touch (also, the iPad) uses both a smaller sensor and a fixed-focus lens.

Not sure about the quality of 8MP sensors... OmniVision's announced sensor isn't as good in low light as the 5MP currently used, though the increase in resolution might somewhat mitigate increased noise. Sony sensor might be better, but I haven't been able to get specs on its sensitivity. Still, the lens in the current iPhone 4 might not be able to resolve necessary detail to take advantage of 8MP sensor, so at this time it's hard to predict what the end result will be.

A lot of those first quarter sales were the people who have been on verizon that all jumped on it. Those are likely not representative of the quarters before and after.

There were only about 4 million of those in that quarter. The quarter before that was over 16 million GSM iPhones. Apple's 3Q 2011 results will be announced on July 19, so we'll know more then about this most recent quarter.

The WSJ is rumored to be ready to release an article seeking to clarify iPhone rumors..

In seriousness, I would not mind seeing an article about how these people get their "sources" and to get a little more insight into how you find sources, how you know they're reliable, and why we get over 9000 different conflicting reports on what the new iDevice looks like.

There was another rumor that could explain all the conflicting information: Apple prepares two iPhones, one basically a cheaper version of the current iPhone 4 (or a cross of it and the iPod touch, cheaper screen, still the A4 CPU) and a true (very different) iPhone 5. Might even explain why they think they can move 40 m units this year.

A lot of those first quarter sales were the people who have been on verizon that all jumped on it. Those are likely not representative of the quarters before and after.

There were only about 4 million of those in that quarter. The quarter before that was over 16 million GSM iPhones. Apple's 3Q 2011 results will be announced on July 19, so we'll know more then about this most recent quarter.

Is the 4 million all cdma or just US verizon (I realize verizon would be the bulk anyway). I expect a slight decrease from 19 million just because people are likely waiting for the next version but if the results are under the 16 million number I'd doubt 40 in 4 months.

Why the hell do they think they need to make it thinner? It's ~9mm. That's ridiculously thin. There is no possible functional gain from reducing the case size further. Use the gains from miniaturization to enhance the things that cannot be shrunk without trade-offs. Bigger battery, better camera lens, better antenna layout.

At some point, obsession for quality becomes a fetish for a pointless metric.